On the 19th of April 1770, Captain James Cook reached the South-East coast of Australia. They named it Botany Bay for the many unique plant specimens collected by his companions Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander. Cook followed the coastline northwards and on the 22nd of August landed at Possession Island (which is off the coast of Northern Queensland), where he believed the land was “Terra Nullius” and claimed the entire coastline from Botany Bay to Possession Island, British Territory.
During this period, Britain was in the midst of great economic and social upheaval. The Industrial Revolution had displaced many people and thousands where leaving their land and moving to the cities in search for employment. Due to this the cities became overcrowded, dirty and breeding grounds for diseases. Jobs were few, wages …show more content…
Though this started out as a positive occasion, it ended up being ruined by people in higher rankings that used these Aborigines for the British colonies and betrayed them when they believed it was time.
So, though there are positives about the British colonising Australia, I personally believe they went about it the wrong way. Innocent people didn’t need to lose their land, change their culture and be murdered, the British could had easily gotten along with the Aboriginals if they had made more of an effort to engage with them.
In our current time, many people agree and believe that the way the British handled the colonisation of Australia was wrong and disrespectful. In 2008, the Australian Prime Minister at the time Kevin Rudd apologised to all indigenous people for the actions we had taken upon them from the First Fleet to the time he was reading the speech. He quoted “We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those stolen Generations- this blemished chapter in our nation’s
During this period, Britain was in the midst of great economic and social upheaval. The Industrial Revolution had displaced many people and thousands where leaving their land and moving to the cities in search for employment. Due to this the cities became overcrowded, dirty and breeding grounds for diseases. Jobs were few, wages …show more content…
Though this started out as a positive occasion, it ended up being ruined by people in higher rankings that used these Aborigines for the British colonies and betrayed them when they believed it was time.
So, though there are positives about the British colonising Australia, I personally believe they went about it the wrong way. Innocent people didn’t need to lose their land, change their culture and be murdered, the British could had easily gotten along with the Aboriginals if they had made more of an effort to engage with them.
In our current time, many people agree and believe that the way the British handled the colonisation of Australia was wrong and disrespectful. In 2008, the Australian Prime Minister at the time Kevin Rudd apologised to all indigenous people for the actions we had taken upon them from the First Fleet to the time he was reading the speech. He quoted “We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those stolen Generations- this blemished chapter in our nation’s